10 May 2010

If you have been following More Than Burnt Toast you will know I started a feature to highlight Canadian Chefs in 2009. This year I continue on this journey to bring you all that Canada has to offer in the culinary world!!! Through your TV networks, or perhaps on other blogs, or even just right here on More Than Burnt Toast you may have heard of some of our Canadian chefs. For those of you who haven't, I hope you will find it interesting to see what our chefs are up to, a little about their history and how they came to love what they do. For the next few months I will continue to feature one of our Canadian chefs. There will be some chefs you have heard of and adore and some lesser known who are "up and coming". Some are not even chefs at all, but just Canadians who are passionate about what they do!! It's time to beef up the action and present the fifteenth installment in my Canadian Chef series. I introduce you to:

Rose Murray

Rose Murray has been well renowned in the Canadian food scene for almost three decades. I remember as a high school student reading her articles in Canadian Living magazine and wanting to make that my career as well. I don't know what happened to that dream, but here we are. She has written 10 cookbooks, writes for a host of magazines and newspapers, has taught cuisine at various colleges and cooking schools, and continues to make many television and radio appearances. Rose has helped shape Canada’s culinary landscape since 1979.

She grew up on a self-sustaining mixed farm near cottage country in Collingwood, Ontario. As a result Rose learned the art of growing your own food, as well as cooking and preserving it, at a very young age. We had a weekend cottage up in that area and I remember having my own garden and nurturing the vegetables I loved.

After finishing a degree in English from Trinity College at the University of Toronto, Rose went on to teach high school English. Over the years, Rose followed her passion, which led her to more formal food studies in Paris at renowned cooking schools such as Cordon Bleu, La Varenne and Ecole de Gastronomie Francaise Ritze-Escoffier. Rose also took classes in Costa Rica, Hong Kong and Thailand further developing her knowledge and understanding of international food and culture.

Rose has two grown children and two grandchildren and now lives in my home town of Cambridge, Ontario with her husband and dog Maggie.

Rose says, "Traditional clafoutis (a kind of cake-like custard) are made with black cherries or other fruit and served as a dessert. I’ve added cheese and chosen cherry tomatoes as a savory version that would be just right for a company breakfast, perhaps with some back bacon and interesting bread."

I was so impressed with this savoury dish I wanted to share it with you right away. Roasting the tomatoes before putting the dish together gives you a burst of summer flavour in every cheesy bite!! What better way to showcase out of season tomatoes and boost their flavour factor. But why stop there. Just the idea of a savoury clafouti makes my toes tingle. I can see a combination of feta and other Greek cheeses and chopped baby spinach in my future.

I contacted Rose and she generously allowed me to post this recipe for you.

Remove the stems from the tomatoes. Arrange in a single layer in a shallow 6-cup (1.5 L) baking dish. Drizzle with the oil; sprinkle with the thyme, garlic, sugar, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper.

Roast in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the skin shrivels slightly.

In a blender, blend the cream, eggs and flour until smooth; pour over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with the cheese. Reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C); bake for about 25 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.

I'm printing off this recipe for my brunch/luncheon/light supper file. It sounds absolutely delicious. Soon our farmers' market will have tiny tomatoes in bright reds, oranges and yellows which, I think, will make a lovely combination in this dish. A huge thank you to Rose Murray (thanks for her most interesting bio) and to you for this recipe.

Wow Val, your blog looks awesome now! I love the changes you've done to it :D. How do you make it to be everywhere and do so many things? The Clafoutis looks delicious and so glamorous, I would love to try it :D

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.